Iran: About 36 Died In A Collision Between Two Trains

In north-eastern Iran, a collision between two passenger trains left at least 36 dead and some 95 wounded.

The accident occurred in a remote area of north. This is one of the most important railway catastrophes of recent years in this country. Iranian President Hassan Rohani demanded “immediate investigation” into the reasons and potential responsible for this accident.The accident occurred near a station in Semnan province, located in northern Iran. The accident took place at about eight in the morning. A first train traveling between Tabriz and Mashhad stopped in the open field due to a technical malfunction or because of extreme cold that hits northern Iran. A second train operating between the city of Mashhad and Semnan came fit into the first train was stopped.

Four cars derailed and two of them immediately caught fire, according to state television. The accident occurred in a region difficult to access complicating relief. Iranian Red Crescent helicopters were dispatched to evacuate the wounded.

The causes of the accident are not yet known. In June 2014, two people were killed in the collision of a freight train and a passenger train on the same line. In 2004, in this same region, more than 300 people were killed in the explosion of a train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer.

Iran has signed several agreements with foreign countries, including China and Italy, to modernize its railway network.